degradation

degradation

See also: dégradation

English

Etymology

From French dégradation. Morphologically degrade +‎ -ation.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌdɛɡɹəˈdeɪʃən/
• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

Noun

degradation (countable and uncountable, plural degradations)

1. The act of reducing in rank, character, or reputation, or of abasing; a lowering from one's standing or rank in office or society
   • 1912, Charles DeLano Hine, Letters from an old railway official: Letter 7

     This feature of good organization, the conferring of definite local superior rank, and the protection of the incumbent from unnecessary degradation, was discovered centuries ago by another effective institution, the Catholic church.

2. The state of being reduced in rank, character, or reputation; baseness; moral, physical, or intellectual degeneracy; disgrace; abasement; debasement.
   • 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], OCLC 21345056, page 112:

     Money is the great breaker-up of love and friendship; and this is, I believe, the reason of the common saying, that "large families get on best in the world," because they can receive from each other assistance without degradation.

3. Diminution or reduction of strength, efficacy, or value; degeneration; deterioration.
4. (geology) A gradual wearing down or wasting, as of rocks and banks, by the action of water, frost etc.
   • 2017, Nigel Woodcock, Geology and Environment In Britain and Ireland

     Overexploitation of land for fuelwood is a further cause of soil degradation in Africa, Asia and South America

5. A deleterious change in the chemical structure, physical properties or appearance of a material from natural or artificial exposure.
6. The state or condition of a species or group which exhibits degraded forms; degeneration.
7. Arrest of development, or degeneration of any organ, or of the body as a whole.

   muscle degradation

8. The gradual breakdown of components of a material, as a result of a natural element, i.e.: heat, cold and wind.

Hyponyms

• biodegradation
• graceful degradation
• Marker degradation

Derived terms

• Edman degradation
• land degradation
• photo-degradation

 

Translations

act of reducing in rank, character, or reputation, or of abasing

Bulgarian: понижаване (bg) n (ponižavane), упадък (bg) m (upadǎk), деградация (bg) m (degradacija) Danish: degradering c Finnish: heikentyminen French: dégradation (fr) f German: Degradierung f Greek: υποβάθμιση (el) f (ypováthmisi), υποβιβασμός (el) m (ypovivasmós) Indonesian: degradasi (id) Italian: abiezione (it) f Polish: poniżenie (pl) n, degradacja (pl) f Romagnol: abieziôn f Romanian: degradare (ro) f, retrogradare (ro) f, înjosire (ro) f Russian: пониже́ние (ru) n (ponižénije), упа́док (ru) m (upádok), деграда́ция (ru) f (degradácija)

state of being reduced in rank, character, or reputation

Bulgarian: падение (bg) n (padenie) Finnish: alennustila (fi), rappio (fi) Greek: εξαθλίωση (el) f (exathlíosi), ξεπεσμός (el) m (xepesmós) Polish: degradacja (pl) f Portuguese: declínio (pt) Romanian: degradare (ro) f Russian: паде́ние (ru) n (padénije), разжа́лование (ru) n (razžálovanije)

diminution or reduction of strength, efficacy, or value; degeneration; deterioration

Armenian: անկում (hy) (ankum) Bulgarian: упадък (bg) m (upadǎk) Danish: fald n Finnish: rappeutuminen, pilaantuminen (fi) Greek: εκφυλισμός (el) m (ekfylismós) Polish: degradacja (pl) f Portuguese: degeneração (pt), deterioração (pt) Romanian: deteriorare (ro) f, stricare (ro) f Russian: упа́док (ru) m (upádok) Ukrainian: деграда́ція f (dehradácija), зане́пад m (zanépad)

gradual wearing down or wasting, as of rocks and banks

Finnish: rappeutuminen, pilaantuminen (fi) Greek: αποσάθρωση (el) f (aposáthrosi) Indonesian: degradasi (id)

state or condition of a species or group which exhibits degraded forms; degeneration

Finnish: rappeutuminen Greek: εκφυλισμός (el) m (ekfylismós) Polish: degradacja (pl) f

arrest of development, or degeneration of any organ, or of the body as a whole

Finnish: rappeutuminen

See also

• (reducing in rank, character, or reputation): comedown
• decomposition

Anagrams

• gradationed